Gears of War 2 was great from a gameplay stand point, and as a sequel, it improved on every element of the first and addressed almost every issue. But from a storytelling stand point... well, lets put it this way. I didn't know it wasn't set on Earth until somewhere in the middle of the second game.

So unless I drank some paint thinner and zoned out for the first game, someone fucked up. There are pieces of a good story here, they're just not assembled very well. I've heard plenty of complaints over the plot having no real direction and being full of holes and head scratching moments, and I agree. Like, the leader of the Locusts being a hot British woman with messed up skin, when Locusts are really ugly.

Your right, that makes no sense, but look enough, you'll find clues and hints that make sense of it, but the 'answers' were not fully implemented into the game. It's like they had all these great ideas ready, all these plot arcs they wanted to get in, and managed to start on some, but never even got half of them rolling, let alone tie them up.

Plus it doesn't help it's a brown and grey shooter with space marines fighting aliens. Thats guna handicap ya from the beginning.

Maybe we just differ here but I think if an element of the story is not included in the game and I have to go elsewhere to experience it then its bad storytelling. I also think that if Im expected to go elsewhere to experience story element then Im being cheated out of some of the cash I payed

I havnt yet played it Oniya, in fact I dont think I had heard of it till now

@Sabby: Episodic releases is a bit different. I think Xenosaga was very well done story in episodic format (till they stopped making the games curse you Namco!). Thing is Gears isnt released in episodic format, I dont think anyone could even make that argument while keeping a straight face but even so each of the Gears games lack whats required for a proper episode

SSSSSPAAAAACE MAAAARINESSS!!!!! in... SPAAAAAACE!!! No but seriously, this game sucks

Have you actually played the game? I mean, you don't like Space Marines, I get that. It's obviously a game made for fans of WH40K. If you're not familiar with the setting, nothing in the game is going to make sense. That's not to say you can't appreciate the gameplay without being a fan, though. Because the gameplay is pretty good. It's very polished. The controls are good, the animations are great, there's a nice selection of high-powered weapons to obliterate your enemies with, including jetpacks that can be used to swoop down on enemies. It also manages to combine melee and ranged combat surprisingly well.

My friend who bought a collectors edition for some reason even said that the ultramarine chapter is the poster children of the space marines but theyre also kind of bland. He wanted to see some other chapters too

Ultramarines aren't just the "default" Space Marines, even if it might seem that way. I mean, I agree that playing as a different chapter would be more interesting, I'm not that fond of the Ultramarines, either. But the only other option that would've made sense would have been the Blood Ravens from Dawn of War. I'm guessing they didn't want it to conflict with the plot of Dawn of War. Chaos Rising makes it fairly clear they have troubles of their own to deal with, and are almost on the brink of destruction.

Other chapters are usually more specialized, meaning they wouldn't have the same range of weapons and equipment to toy with, without pissing off the fans. At least that would be my guess.

This is Space Marines, dude. I doubt they're making tough decisions about playable characters because of the all important plot if they were so concerned with the story, they might have, ya know... actually characterized the main protagonist, for a start.

I havnt yet played it Oniya, in fact I dont think I had heard of it till now

I keep seeing ads for it - guess I'm special . Anyways, it's supposed to be the first horror game for the Kinect, so when you're wielding a chainsaw, you have to move your hands like you've got a chainsaw and all that. I know we've got some horror-game fans here, so I thought I'd put it out there.

I seen a trailer for it, yeah. It looked alright, until I saw the phantom arms that is your character crossed, and this somehow was defending you against a mop of hungry zombies.

Aside from that, it looks interesting. Kinect is quickly going the way of the Wii, so I hope they bring out some good exclusives soon :/ The problem is that we're trying to make console games for something that doesn't conform to that old design. Kinect has no controller, so you can't expect it to play in the same way a traditional Xbox game would, and I don't think they thought too much on that in development. Instead of trying to create a whole new medium to go with it, we're just taking the VERY few elements from tried and tested games that we know work, and thats basically party games and lightgun shooters.

Kinect needs more then what we're giving it, it needs an entirely different approach, and as much as I'd like it to succeed, if it doesn't get that, its already failed.

Oh well, that House of the Hobbes game looks way more fun then any Fable game xD

Have you actually played the game? I mean, you don't like Space Marines, I get that. It's obviously a game made for fans of WH40K. If you're not familiar with the setting, nothing in the game is going to make sense. That's not to say you can't appreciate the gameplay without being a fan, though. Because the gameplay is pretty good. It's very polished. The controls are good, the animations are great, there's a nice selection of high-powered weapons to obliterate your enemies with, including jetpacks that can be used to swoop down on enemies. It also manages to combine melee and ranged combat surprisingly well.

You may not like the game, but that doesn't mean it sucks.

Ummm? I have played it. I already stated that. And in my opinion it's a laugh riot. I do not think it's very polished or fulfilling just becuase you get to use a jet pack and super cool chain saw sword. I dunno. It's just not for me.

Anyway, playing Rise of Legends. They made up the rather lackluster Alin side with this Azteco space race that's absolutely to die for. Clarke's Law and all that jazz. They have floating barracks. (Which I'm well aware was in Starcraft but you know what they don't move like a cripple snail) it's really fun to ride up on the mothers and establish me a good old FOB.

Yup, which is why I said 'when will they make a good one?'. I love post-post-apoc settings. Ya know, so far after an apocalypse that the events of it, and the society that preluded it are mostly myth and ancient ruins. It was mostly a retconn with Sacred 2, since Sacred 1 didn't show it if I remember, but the people who built the ruins Sacreds game world is built on were full on magic tech.

It's corny and silly, but its a freakin' egyptian robot with a plasma/tesla coil hand smacking skeletons flying with a mace, and its not a clunky one minded mech either, it's the I, Robot style of robotics, sleek and intelligent and with emotions. I'm biased here, because I love any kind of robot that could pass for a human if it wore a cloak and hood.

This is Space Marines, dude. I doubt they're making tough decisions about playable characters because of the all important plot if they were so concerned with the story, they might have, ya know... actually characterized the main protagonist, for a start.

... Which, of course, I never said they did. I said they had to pick a versatile chapter of Space Marines because to do otherwise would result in them having to adapt the gameplay according to the doctrine of the chapter they went with. For instance, Black Templars might be more interesting than Ultramarines, in terms of appearance and lore and so on, but that would also mostly preclude any sort of ranged combat, as they're almost entirely melee focused. Other chapters have their own differences. Or nobody has ever heard of them.

So they went with Ultramarines because it made their job easier. It's just Gears of War with bigger shoulder pads. Less work then a Shattered Dimensions approach, but a lot less impressive and flattering.

Red Orchestra 2. I'm preloading it on Steam right now. It seems like an FPS from a different era. I don't think it'll beat Battlefield 3 as the definite MP experience of the year, but ... still. It was cheaper than a regular release, too. About half the price.

So they went with Ultramarines because it made their job easier. It's just Gears of War with bigger shoulder pads. Less work then a Shattered Dimensions approach, but a lot less impressive and flattering.

Only in Sabbyland is trying to please the largest number of people taking the easy way out.